(FRANKLIN) - An Indiana company with ties to the Toyota Group will break ground today (Wednesday) on a plastic auto-parts manufacturing facility in Franklin that will further expand the carmaker's footprint in Indiana.

The Premium Composite Technology North America Facility follows Monday's announcement that Toyota will spend $500 million to retool its Princeton facilities in southwestern Indiana for production of the highlander sport utility vehicle.

The company expects to begin operations next spring and employ 37 people by 2012.